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<title>I'll try for one morе night by TheSevenUmbrellas (RosyPages)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27037240">I'll try for one morе night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosyPages/pseuds/TheSevenUmbrellas'>TheSevenUmbrellas (RosyPages)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alive AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alive AU, Angst, Everyone Is Alive, Families of Choice, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Living AU, Living!Phantoms AU, M/M, No beta we die like Sunset Curve</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 10:07:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27037240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosyPages/pseuds/TheSevenUmbrellas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alive Julie and the Phantoms AU</p><p>Alex tries to tell his parents about his new boyfriend. When that doesn't go too well, his real family are there for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex &amp; Julie Molina, Alex &amp; Julie Molina &amp; Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie &amp; Willie, Alex &amp; Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex &amp; Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alive AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973302</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>386</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'll try for one morе night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alex walked into the studio grinning so hard his face hurt. He’d just had the perfect date. They’d broken into a museum (not his first choice, but with Willie Alex was willing to try anything) and talked and screamed and Alex felt so <em>full</em>. Usually after first dates (the very few he’d gone on) he’d feel so anxious his stomach would be in knots. Not with Willie though. He felt safe. Happy. Loved.</p><p>Luke noticed him first, glancing up from where he and Julie were scribbling song lyrics in a notebook. “Finally!” he called with a teasing smile. “We were just about to send out a search party.”</p><p>Heat flushed Alex’s cheeks. “Um, yeah…” he mumbled, scratching at the back of his neck. “Sorry about that. We… I mean… I lost track of time.” He felt bad about keeping them waiting. Flynn had booked them a last-minute gig for the next night, and they hadn’t even chosen a song yet.</p><p>Luke rolled his eyes. “I’m kidding, dude. We’re happy for you. <em>Really</em>.”</p><p>Even Reggie nodded, strumming his bass in time with his head bobs. “You haven’t smiled like that in forever. Must’ve been a <em>pretty</em> good date.”</p><p>Alex tried to shrug it off, but the blush in his cheeks deepened. “He’s… I mean… I just like Willie. I guess.”</p><p>Julie grinned. “I’d hope so! Have you told your parents about him yet?”</p><p>Reggie and Luke stilled. Alex winced.</p><p>Bobby had quit the band only a few months ago. Their ex-bandmate had an annoying habit of stealing Luke’s songs during solo gigs. When they’d all confronted him about it, it hadn’t ended well.</p><p>After standing in as an emergency last-minute replacement for one gig, the boys had all but begged on their hands and knees for her to join officially. She had the voice of an angel. With the combined force of both Luke and Julie writing their new songs, <em>Julie and the Phantoms</em> was officially taking off.</p><p>Alex already liked her <em>a lot</em> more than Bobby.</p><p>Although she already felt like a sister to him, the boys hadn’t exactly sat her down and filled her in on their family drama. Or maybe it was just Alex who hadn’t done that. Julie already seemed to know everything about Reggie’s parents fighting and Luke running away from home.</p><p>Alex hadn’t meant to keep it from her, it was just… he didn’t really want to think about it. If he didn’t admit it out loud then it didn’t count, right?</p><p>He’d come out to his parents almost a year ago. The first three months had been filled with tense fights and sharp words. When that hadn’t worked, they’d settled on cold silences and dark looks. Eventually he’d moved in with Reggie and Luke into the studio. It was a big enough space with room enough for three beds and a chest of draws on the top level. They had a shower, a bathroom, and even a taco stand down the street. What else could they want?</p><p>They technically weren’t legally allowed to live there, but they were renting from Julie’s dad anyway and if he’d noticed, he hadn’t said anything. Alex was sure Ray was already giving them a tremendous discount and luckily, between all their extra shifts at their afterschool jobs plus their gig money, they weren’t struggling too badly.</p><p>His parents had contacted him a month after he’d left. It’d taken three weeks filled with worried (and angry) texts, but eventually he’d returned home just for dinner. He’d promised himself (and Luke and Reggie) if they said one wrong thing, he’d leave. He didn’t have to sit through it.</p><p>According to his friends, he didn’t deserve that.</p><p>His parents hadn’t said anything about him being gay though. They’d asked a little about the band and a lot about how his schoolwork was holding up. They hadn’t asked him to move back.</p><p>Ever since, he’d returned home for a meal or two every other week or so. Neither of his parents had brought up the gay thing since he’d left. None of them had broached the subject of him moving back either. </p><p>He hadn’t even considered telling them about Willie.</p><p>“Err… no… no, not yet,” he managed to mumble. He kept his eyes trained on the floor, unwilling to face the looks of pity Reggie and Luke were almost certainly sending his way.</p><p>Julie seemed to pick up on the awkwardness. She glanced between Alex and the boys, confused.</p><p>It was Reggie who broke the silence. “Maybe you should?”</p><p>Alex looked up, feeling oddly betrayed. Surely Reggie of all people should’ve known why he didn’t want to do <em>specifically</em> that.</p><p>Reggie just shrugged. “They’re going to find out sooner or later, you know?”</p><p>Understanding dawned on Alex. They were going to find out. Of course they were going to find out. Their little corner of LA was very close knit. Most of the people in the area worked for the same music few companies, meaning almost everyone’s parents knew or worked with everyone else’s parents.</p><p>If someone from their high school saw him and Willie out on a date, his parents were going to find out within the hour.</p><p>Maybe it was better if they heard it directly from Alex first. Then at least he could be prepared for their reaction…</p><p>“You think I should?” he asked slowly.</p><p>Luke shrugged. “Only if you want to, man. It’s up to you. You said they haven’t been too bad recently, right? Maybe this’ll… you know… make them accept that it’s real.”</p><p>“Maybe.” Alex didn’t sound confident even to himself. But maybe there was some wisdom in Luke’s words. If his parents knew he was officially dating someone then they’d have to accept it, right? They couldn’t tell him he was confused anymore.</p><p>Reggie sat his bass down carefully on the table. “You could call them now?” he offered. “With us. Here. I mean.”</p><p>Luke and Julie nodded.</p><p>Alex had never been more grateful for his band before in his life.</p><p>“Yeah… Yeah. Okay.” Alex shuffled to the couch before pulling his phone out. His palms were so sweaty he almost dropped it. After three tries of punching in the password with shaking fingers, he managed to pull up his parents’ number.</p><p>Julie squeezed his shoulder. “Ready?”</p><p>He wanted to cry. He wanted to shout <em>nope</em> and throw the phone away. But his band was there to support him. He had to face the music sometime.</p><p>Still, he was too much of a coward to put the phone up to his ear. Instead he held it out as far away from himself as possible and pressed speaker phone.</p><p>It rang.</p><p>Then a click.</p><p>“Hello?” His mom’s voice sounded almost as warm as it had been since before he’d come out. He could almost picture the old smile on her lips.</p><p>“Hey, Mom,” he said. His voice sounded strangled in his throat. His heart was beating so fast he felt dizzy from it. The world didn’t exist beyond the phone in his hand and his mom’s voice. Somewhere far away, Julie squeezed his shoulder again. “Is Dad there too? I want to tell you both something.”</p><p>“Oh, yes, yes. He’s right here just chopping tomatoes. Give me a second.”</p><p>There was the sound of the phone moving, and then his dad’s voice called a little far away, “Here Alex. What do you need to tell us?”</p><p>They sounded happy. They were in a pleasant mood. Maybe this would work out.</p><p>His stomach burned.</p><p>Everything was going to be fine.</p><p>He was going to throw up.</p><p>“I… umm… I wanted to tell you that I… I met someone.”</p><p>The words hung in the air for a moment.</p><p>His mom’s voice came through the tinny speaker. “Oh, honey! I’m so happy for you.”</p><p>Relief almost washed over him.</p><p>Almost.</p><p>Then his dad added, “What’s her name?”</p><p><em>Her</em>.</p><p>Alex stumbled over his tongue. His mouth felt dry. “I…”</p><p><em>Her</em>.</p><p>“I…” he tried again. There was something blocking his throat. Tears burned in his eyes.</p><p>
  <em>Her.</em>
</p><p>A hand wrapped around his. Luke gently took the phone from him. “He’ll call you back,” was all he said before hanging up.</p><p>Alex was too exhausted to feel grateful for the intervention. Tears ran down his cheeks. He sniffled, trying to wipe at his face as if he could hide it.</p><p>Julie’s voice was full of confusion. “Don’t they know you’re gay?” she asked.</p><p>He laughed, bitterly. “Yeah,” he croaked. “They do.”</p><p>Suddenly there were arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. Reggie was on one side, letting Alex bury his teary face into the crook of his neck. Julie stroked his hair from the other, planting a gentle kiss on top of his head. They were warm and comforting. He could smell Reggie’s cologne and feel Julie’s wooly sweater against his back. With his face hidden, Alex let the tears fall. He shook with the grief he hadn’t felt himself feel since his parents had kicked him out.</p><p>Because that’s what they had done, wasn’t it? Even if it’d been his choice to leave at first. They didn’t want him back. They didn’t <em>want him</em>. He wasn’t enough for them. He’d never be enough for them.</p><p>Someone tapped on his hand gently, and he turned his head to see Luke holding Alex’s phone in his palm. “I think… I think you should try again.”</p><p>Alex couldn’t shake his head hard enough. “No, they-”</p><p>But Luke shushed him gently. He was already tapping on Alex’s phone. “Trust me,” he said just as it began to ring.</p><p>Luke’s ringtone went off at the same time.</p><p>Handing Alex his phone, Luke pulled out his own. With a smile, he answered it. “Hello.”</p><p>His voice echoed out through Alex’s speaker. It sounded distorted with the feedback, but Luke was beaming.</p><p>Alex just stared in confusion.</p><p>“You wanted to tell your family something, right?” Luke’s voice asked through the speaker. “Well, we’re here. Tell us.”</p><p><em>Oh</em>. <em>Oh!</em> Despite the tears, a watery smile played on his face. He rubbed at his eyes and cleared his throat. “Umm… I… met someone?” he sniffed, feeling a little stupid.</p><p>Luke let out a breathy laugh. “We’re so proud of you, Alex. Tell us all about <em>him</em>.”</p><p>It was small… but it was also exactly what he wanted to hear. Alex made a sound between a laugh and a sob. “His name is Willie,” he told the speaker. “He makes me really happy.”</p><p> “Is he good enough for you?” Julie chimed in, leaning over so that she could shout into Luke’s phone. Her voice shrieked out of Alex’s speaker and they all winced at the volume.</p><p>“More than enough.” His throat felt sore and raw from crying, but he couldn’t stop smiling.</p><p>Reggie hugged him closer. “You should invite him over son,” he said, his voice mockingly deep like when he did his impressions of Ray. “We can have a barbeque and I’ll make my amazing ribs.” Reggie’s eyes widened. “Wait,” he added, this time in his normal voice. “Can we actually do that?”</p><p>Julie and Luke rolled their eyes, laughing at him.</p><p>Alex just smiled. His parents were his parents. But his band? They were his real family.</p><p>They were the only ones who mattered.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope this was okay, I'm a little rusty and I've never written for JATP before.<br/>I just thought something like this would be cute.<br/>Hope you liked it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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